Abound

There is an oft quoted verse in Philippians that goes something like this:

"that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion,"

 I have heard this used many times in various ways.  Usually to encourage someone who is going through a transition or difficult time.  That God is doing something good through your life, and He will see you through to the end.

While I believe that sentiment is true, there is more to this than just that.

Let's look at the larger context, Philippians 1 verses 3-11: (emphasis mine)

I thank my God every time I remember you.  In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy  because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now,  being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.  God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

 What Paul is really saying that God will carry to completion is that their love will abound in knowledge and insight so they can discern what is best to be pure and blameless, filled with the fruit of righteousness...that comes through Jesus.

That comes through Jesus Christ.

That sounds a lot like something Jesus said.

"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."

 So let's look at that again.  Paul is not just saying that every good work will be continued on til the day of Christ Jesus.  He wants their love to abound.  What does that even mean?  Abound is a verb that means:

to occur or exist in great quantities or numbers, to be filled; teem

Love to be filled with knowledge and insight.  Knowledgeable and insightful love that can discern what is best and be pure and blameless.  Love filled with the fruit of righteousness.  A fruit that comes through Jesus.

 "Remain in me."

 The fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus.  By remaining in him.  To abound with Jesus.  To be filled with, to teem with Jesus.  To occur or exist in great quantities of Jesus.

That is what Paul is praying for.  That is the good work that will be carried on until the day of Christ.  That those who are partner to the good news of Jesus will be filled with Jesus.  And to be filled with Jesus bears fruit of righteousness.  That fruit will fall into the lives of people around us by the way we live our lives.

If we live our lives teeming with Jesus, we can't help but share him with others.  When the storms of life come, and we face trials the wind will show our "fruit" to those in our lives.  When we are shaken by disease the fruit of hope and joy that comes from Jesus will drop.  When we are attacked by enemies with words or threats, the fruit of kindness and forgiveness will fall.  When we are blighted with hate and anger and fear, it is the fruit of patience, peace and love that shows.

All that comes from Jesus.  And we don't show that fruit if we don't remain in him.  To use the old expression, The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.  Let our tree be Jesus.  We are the branches.  Let his fruit fall from us.  Let his lessons and teachings and love be ripe in our lives.  Let his love and mercy and forgiveness abound within us.

grace, peace + hope
-Bear